by Kim Fox
“Jarin is dead,” Draven said, enjoying the look of shock and horror on Terrowin’s face as he told him. He might not be able to hurt his brother with his fists, but he could hurt him with his words. Jarin and Terrowin had been as close as real brothers and Draven knew that knowing Jarin was dead would hurt Terrowin more than Terrowin could ever hurt him.
He staggered back as his face twisted in despair. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re lying.”
Draven grinned as he struggled to hold his head up. “I’m not. I watched him die. I killed him.”
Terrowin stepped forward with his fist cocked back ready to give Draven the final blow when there was a knock on the door.
He whipped his head back and dropped his fist as he stomped to the door and yanked it open. “What?!?” he snapped.
Draven’s mouth dropped when he saw three familiar faces standing there.
“We’re looking for the gift shop,” Axel said to the furious dragon shifter in front of him. “Do you sell postcards?”
Terrowin slammed the door closed, but Zane stuck his foot out, preventing it from closing.
“Actually,” he said as he pushed it back open. “We’re here for that guy.”
A surge of adrenaline rushed through Draven’s exhausted body when his three friends rushed forward. They burst into the room with their bodies shaking as Berinon and Terrowin looked at them in shock.
Their animals burst free from their bodies, exploding into a Kodiak bear, a polar bear, and a vicious lion.
Jax’s lion leaped onto Terrowin’s body, swallowing the dragon shifter’s head in his huge jaws as Axel’s polar bear charged into Berinon, knocking him off his feet. Zane’s bear sprinted at Terrowin’s legs, plowing his shoulder into him and knocking him off his feet.
Draven grunted as he channeled the last of his strength and energy into his wrists, yanking them apart as hard as he could until the metal cuffs snapped off.
He fell to the floor, landing on his feet as the animals swarmed on his two brothers. Terrowin and Berinon were caught off guard and down for now, but the tables would quickly turn once they got back on their feet. Draven knew they had to get out while they still could.
“In the hallway, now!” he shouted, using his deepest and most commanding alpha voice. The three animals immediately turned and sprinted into the hallway under their alpha’s order.
Draven slammed the heavy metal door closed and locked it from the outside as the three of them phased back into their human forms.
When he turned, Jax, Axel, and Zane were all staring at him, waiting for orders.
“What now?” Axel asked as he glanced from side to side.
Draven knew that the door wouldn’t hold his brothers for long. They had a few minutes if they were lucky.
He swallowed hard and turned right. “Now. We run.”
Chapter 7
Draven
“Where are the secret tunnels?” Axel asked as they ran down the hall as fast as they could.
“What secret tunnels?” Zane said, shooting him a frustrated look as they ran. “His father was a dragon shifter. He didn’t need any secret tunnels.”
“Well, that’s not very convenient,” Axel said with a frown.
“Actually,” Draven whispered as they sprinted down the hall. He had forgotten all about it until Axel’s comment reminded him. He used to crawl into the secret tunnel system that ran through the castle to escape his brothers when they used to torment him as a kid.
“This way!” he said, waving them around the corner. The four shifters all took one last look at the heavy metal door as Terrowin and Berinon pounded it from the other side. It was bending and getting mangled with every hard punch and the old metal hinges looked like they were about to break off at any second.
They followed Draven as he ran down the hall toward the staircase that led up to the small chapel. There was a fireplace in there with a secret door that led to the tunnel system. Draven’s father had shown him the system and told him to keep it a secret from his brothers. Maybe he knew that one day I’d be using it to escape from them.
“Is this your only plan?” Axel asked as they ran into the chapel. “Pray for our safety? I don’t think it’s going to work. Last year, I prayed every day for a date with Jennifer Aniston and she never returned any of my emails.”
“Can you let him concentrate?” Jax asked with a fierce look in his eyes. “We’re in a life and death chase if you haven’t noticed.”
Zane ran over to a pile of clothes that was going out to the needy. He found some pants and threw a pair to each of the shifters.
Draven quickly slid a pair on, ran over to the fireplace, and dropped to his knees. He turned the handle of the vent until he heard a click, pulled it out a bit just like his father had shown him, and then turned it to the left. It clicked again and then nothing happened.
“Are you building a fire?” Axel asked, looking at him with confusion. “We’re in a life and death chase if you haven’t noticed.”
Draven took a deep breath and pushed the stones on the back wall of the fireplace. “Yes,” he whispered as a sense of relief rushed through him. The back wall swung open, revealing the hidden tunnel.
He turned with a grin. “This way, fellas.”
The fit was tight, but they could squeeze in if they stayed on their hands and knees. He led the way, followed by Axel, Jax, and then Zane who closed the door behind them, plunging them into darkness.
“I hope you know where you’re going,” Jax whispered. “I’d rather be stuck in that dungeon than stuck in these walls.”
“You’ll be fine if you stay behind me,” Axel said.
“That’s what I’m worried about,” Jax answered. “If you fart in my face, you’re not getting out of this castle alive.”
It was dangerous to be talking, but Draven was so happy to hear their voices. As annoying as they sometimes were, he had really missed his friends.
They crawled for a while until the roof raised and they were able to stand comfortably. Draven figured that they were somewhere under the southern wall.
Jax pulled out a lighter and lit up the dark tunnel as they gathered in a circle.
“What’s the plan, boss?” Zane asked, looking at him.
Jax swallowed hard. “Please tell me there’s a plan.”
“You’re the ones who broke in here,” Draven said with a deep breath. “Didn’t you have a plan to get out?”
The three shifters looked at each other with blank faces.
“How did you get here anyway?” Draven asked them.
Jax gulped. “We took an Uber.”
Draven couldn’t help but laugh. Man, I missed these knuckleheads.
“All right,” Draven said with a grin. “Let’s make a plan.”
He was in his old home, but these three guys felt more like home to him than this castle ever did. He just wished Gunner was there too to complete the group.
“We have to be careful,” Draven said. “Terrowin and Berinon could be out by now, and we still don’t know where Valerius is.”
“Valerius?” Zane said, jerking his head back. “Oh, right. You don’t know. We took care of him, boss.”
Draven’s mouth fell open as he stared at him in shock. “You what?”
Axel shrugged. “He came to visit Colwood, and let’s just say that he’s never going to leave.”
Draven couldn’t believe it. Maybe these knuckleheads were more capable than he ever gave them credit for. They took care of a mated dragon by themselves. And Valerius on top of that…
He still had a hard time believing it. “He’s dead?”
Axel nodded proudly. “Iced. Melted. Give me a few minutes and I’ll come up with some more puns, but the blue dragon is dead.”
Draven lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the polar bear shifter in an ecstatic hug. “Thank you,” he said, smiling wide. These three had just tilted the odds in their favor by a lot. Draven knew how dangerous of a dragon
his brother Valerius was, and now he was no longer a threat.
“Good job,” Draven said, tapping Axel’s blushing cheek. He nodded as he looked at Jax and Zane with gratitude in his eyes. “Great job, guys.”
“They didn’t do anything,” Axel said, smirking at Jax. “Unless you call being turned into the world’s ugliest ice sculpture ‘doing something.’”
Jax frowned as he smacked the polar bear shifter across the back of the head. “Wasn’t it Hadley who drove the fire truck over him while you were getting your ass kicked?”
“Who?” Draven said, raising an eyebrow.
“My mate,” Axel said proudly.
“Your what?” Draven said, staring at him in shock. What had he missed while he was gone?
“I have a mate,” Axel said with a massive grin on his face. “And she’s pregnant.”
Draven stared at him as he shook his head in disbelief. “Wow,” he whispered, chuckling to himself. “Next you’re going to tell me that Jax has a girl too.”
Jax grinned. “I do. And a new son.”
Draven glanced at Zane to see if they were telling the truth but the Kodiak bear shifter just shrugged. “He does.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Draven said, shaking his head. “Let’s get out of here first and you can tell me all about it.”
Zane’s eyes fell to Draven’s waist. “So, I guess… No magical sword?”
“Yeah,” Axel said, perking up. “Where’s Excalibur? Or what did Aleida call it? Cauliflower-furnace?”
“Caliburnus,” Draven corrected. Even saying the name sent warm shivers racing through him. “It’s my mate.”
“You bonded to a sword?” Jax asked, staring at him like he was about to bring him to the insane asylum.
“It’s not a sword,” Draven said. “It’s a girl. Her name is Caliburnus, and I think she’s going to be my mate.”
Actually, I know she’s going to be my mate. He didn’t need an old prophecy to tell him that. He could feel it in every cell of his body.
Zane furrowed his brow as he watched him. “Where is this girl?”
Draven’s heart sunk as he pictured her locked away in the tower.
“She’s here,” he whispered. “In one of the towers.”
Jax’s jaw tightened as he nodded. “How do we get her out?”
Draven let out a heavy sigh as he watched them. It would be safer to do this on his own. He would sneak up to the tower, grab her, and fly away in his dragon form. He wouldn’t be able to carry three heavy shifters as well, but that also meant that if he ran into his two brothers, he’d be facing them alone.
“I’m going to go get her,” Draven whispered. “Alone.”
The three shifters looked like he had just told them that Christmas was canceled.
“We don’t want to leave you alone, boss,” Zane said, shifting around uncomfortably. “Let us stay with you.”
“I’m going to have to make a quick exit once I get her,” Draven said. “I can’t carry you all, and unless you sprouted wings when you bonded to your mates, you’ll have to find another way back.”
Draven explained where their camp was set up and told them that they would have to steal a car and drive back.
“Gunner and Aleida are there now,” Draven said. “Probably wondering where the hell I am. If you go down this tunnel and take a right at the fork, it will lead you to what used to be the stables. I’m sure my brothers have converted it into a garage for their sports cars. Grab a car, something inconspicuous, and I’ll meet you back at the camp.”
They didn’t look so sure about leaving him as they stood there staring with uncomfortable looks on their faces.
“I don’t know…” Zane said, rubbing his bearded chin.
“I got this,” Draven said, slapping a hand on his round shoulder. “I’ve dealt with my brothers many times before. I’ve been doing this since before your great-grandparents were born.”
Jax cleared his throat. “But what if…”
“It’s an order,” Draven said with a firm voice. He didn’t want to have to pull the alpha card, but this was the only way. “Now go.”
Jax and Axel wished him luck as they reluctantly headed down the tunnel, following his orders.
“Come back safely,” Zane said as he shook Draven’s hand. “I need you to be the alpha again. These guys are giving me too many gray hairs.”
“You’re doing a great job,” Draven said with a grin. “It sounds like you took good care of them for me.”
Zane nodded with blushing cheeks. “I’ll see you back at the camp.”
He turned to follow Axel and Jax when Draven called him back.
“And Zane. One more order.”
Zane turned and waited for it.
“Save me a beer,” Draven said with a laugh. “I’m going to need it.”
“Yes, sir,” Zane said. He grinned and then disappeared down the tunnel, leaving the Dragon King by himself once again.
He took a deep breath and hurried in the opposite direction.
Let’s go get our mate.
Draven crawled out of the secret tunnel, emerging from the back of the fireplace in the Northern Tower. It was his mother’s old room—the Queen’s room—and his nerves settled for a moment, replaced by a sadness that he hadn’t felt in centuries.
His mother had died during the medieval era, but the empty room still carried her essence, and Draven felt like he had been transported back to his youth.
His father had never been around much when Draven was growing up. He ruled over a kingdom and was all too busy with wars and battles and expansion to be a father to his son, so Draven was always much closer to his mom.
He was her only child and she absolutely adored him, and he adored her. Draven had the most powerful man in the world—the True Dragon King—as a male role model, but it was his mother who had taught him how to be a man. A good man, a just man, and a courageous man.
He took a deep breath, feeling his chest tighten as he walked over to the large oil canvas that was hanging on the wall. It was a portrait of her wearing her jeweled crown and a stunning dress that made her look like the regal Queen that she was.
A sad smile fell on his lips as he reached up and lightly grazed his fingers over her face. He remembered how comforting she always felt when he would run into her arms as a child in tears—usually tears that his brothers had caused. She would kiss away his tears and hold him tight, making him feel instantly better as she told him what a great king he would be. Proud and noble and just to everyone in his kingdom.
It was time to be the brave and courageous dragon shifter she had raised him to be.
“Your prophecy was right, Mom,” he whispered to the dusty painting. “She’s the one for me.”
His inner dragon paced within, urging him to go get the girl who was to be his mate.
“Let’s just hope I bond to her before my brothers show up.”
With one last look at his mother’s frozen face, Draven hurried out of the room and rushed up the stone stairs of the tower, taking three steps at a time.
The door at the top was locked, so Draven flexed his arm and smashed his shoulder into it, breaking it open.
The three women inside screamed as they turned, staring at him in shock.
Caliburnus stepped forward as her look of surprise turned to a look of awe. “You’re okay?”
“I am now,” he said, feeling a pain in his chest as he stared at her. She was so perfect. All of eternity would not be long enough to spend with this girl by his side. “Caliburnus. Please come with me. We don’t have a lot of time.”
Her gorgeous green eyes dropped to the stone floor as she twisted her hands together. “I… I won’t leave without—”
“She’s going,” her mother said, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her forward. “Please get her out of here. She deserves better than this.”
“So do you,” Cali said, spinning on her heels to look at her mother. “I don’t wa
nt to leave without you, mama.”
“You have to,” she said, looking more desperate by the second. “All I want is what’s best for you. I want you to have a life. A real life. You can’t have that locked away in here.”
Cali turned and their eyes met, sending jolts of need surging through him. Draven was leaving this tower with her no matter what she said. Even if he had to do it with her screaming over his shoulder.
“We have to leave now,” he said, extending his hand and hoping she would take it.
But she just stood there, staring at his hand with an unsure look on her face. “Can you bring my mother, Draven? Please.”
Her face was full of torment and anguish and it broke Draven’s heart to see her in pain like that. If he was a mated dragon he could bring all three of them easily.
Come on, you scaly fuck. Bond to her!
He pushed his dragon to bond, squeezing his body and yelling at it to take its destiny and bond with the girl he knew was his. But like the old saying went: you can lead a dragon to its mate, but you can’t make him bond.
Draven swallowed his frustration and turned his attention back to the scared and confused girl.
“Cali,” he whispered. “I know you don’t know me, and I know you have no reason to believe a word I say. But we’re meant to be together. We’re fated mates.”
Her body flinched at the word ‘mate’ and she took a step back, staring at him curiously.
“I know this must sound crazy to you,” he said, desperate for her to see the truth. “But I will love you forever, and you will love me. You may not feel it now. But it’s the truth. It’s fate. Please come with me. Take a chance on fate and you’ll see.”
Her green eyes softened as she watched him closely.
“Please,” he whispered. “I promise I’ll come back for your mother.”
“And Anna?”
Draven nodded. “And Anna.” He glanced back at the open door as his pulse started racing. There were footsteps echoing from below. “We have to leave now, Caliburnus. What do you say?”
She took half a step forward but then recoiled, shaking her head stubbornly. “I’m not leaving my mother.”